Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#183472 12/08/12 09:24 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7
R
Newbie
OP Offline
Newbie
R
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7
I'm really enjoying using BIAB. It really does inspire. Here's my first track that I'm working on - its a work in progress, but at a point where I'm happy to share what I've got so far. Even though I've replaced all the original parts with my own sample libraries, the MIDI data is largely intact from the original, using C_POP as a basis except...

Drums were replaced with custom patterns based on Superior 2.0 included MIDI files.
Acoustic Guitar was custom programmed by me using RealGuitar 3
Solo sax part performed by me using an EWI, and Samplemodeling Tenor Sax

Other sounds...
Piano - NI New York Piano
Bass - NI/Scarbee Bass
Electric Guitar - Real LPC
Guitar/Bass effects - NI Guitar Rig 5

All put together in Cubase.

Lyrics by a friend of mine.

Just figuring out my next move. I want to get the vocals re-recorded - the girl who did these is capable of much better - she was sick on the day we recorded these, but I wanted to get a scratch vocal down anyway. I'm thinking of changing the key of it so that she can sing it all in her chest voice because the interval leap makes it a little too obvious when she switches. I'm not even sure if that's possible, not being a singer myself.

I also want to re-do the drums, but the changes will be fairly subtle.

Then it needs mixing properly...

http://www.studiobeemusic.com/tmp/carefree.mp3

I acknowledge BIAB as the key factor in getting this song to where it is. Definitely the strongest song I've ever written.

User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,081
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,081
Nothing wrong with this one. I like it.

BIAB is very inspiring. I love it.


My music can be heard at: The Cracks
User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,888
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,888
I like it as is.
I'm looking forward to your improvements.
Very good start in this forum.

Guenter

User Showcase
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 126
Apprentice
Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 126
Nice effort. I like the song. It's in pretty good shape. A little mix here and a little tweak there and you got it.

User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,047
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,047
richie,

Enjoy the music and vocals. She did a nice job
of the song.

ditto on other comments, jptjptjpt comment was also true.

Thanks for sharing, and look forward to more of your music!


FrankB

Down The Street vs2015 12-03-2014
Win7, AMD QuadA8-5500,16GB,2TeraHD, Komplete 10
PG Ultra Plus 2016,Alesis 12USB, Sonar Platinum
User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,247
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,247
Lots to like on this track - upbeat vocals and instruments, happy lyrics... And tambourine!

The fingerpicked electric distorted guitar works well, but the strummed distorted chords at the beginning seem a bit out of place. I think it works much better on the acoustic.

I'm not sure I've ever smelled "tropical scents in the air" at a beach on the mainland, but I'm being nit picky today.

There are a lot of words in the song, and they feel a bit rushed in places. I'd be tempted to trim a syllable or two.

All in all, it holds up well to numerous listens - nice work!


-- David Cuny

My virtual singer development blog
Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?

BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,427
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,427
There's the the makings of a good song there. I really liked the guitar and sax parts, nice. I found I wanted to listen to it a few times.
The lead vocal is nicely in tune but I agree with your thoughts that it's a bit head-voicy and what with the fasetto move gets strident and doesn't match the 'genre' of the rocking backing of this song. The drums could maybe come forward a tad in the mix.


Songs web site
YouTube Channel
BIAB 2024
Cakewalk by BandLab
Studio One 7
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,366
ROG Offline
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,366
Hi and welcome to the forums.

Really good song and I actually thought she sang it well in that key.

The track holds up well as it is, but if I was to suggest anything it would be to add some instrumental phrases, guitar or sax for example, in the longer gaps between the vocal lines. The other possibility would be some backing vox (ooh/aah} in the chorus to emphasize the pick-up from the verse.

Of course, all this is subjective and it's an excellent first submission.

ROG.

ROG #183480 12/09/12 04:51 AM
User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
I think she is a really good singer. You need to add backing vocals to match the intensity of all the other instrumentation. It seems like a well put together tune. very nice. So what is still BIAB? Ha, ha -- it looks like you replaced everything. So will just use BIAB as a composition tool? Nothing wrong with that approach, of course.


Now at bandcamp: Crows Say Vee-Eh @ bandcamp or soundcloud: Kevin @ soundcloud
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,369
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,369
I liked this alot as it is, really good movement and overall feeling...only suggestion I would make is to create some kind of short instrumental phrase that you can insert, maybe at beginning, or at breaks--or use it to polish up the ending..something to sustain the melodic theme throughout. Thanks for sharing.

User Showcase
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109
I agree with the points made by others, but I also wanted to make a callout to your chord structure.

I like it!! it made for some very nice transitions... and the breaks and general flow of the song show some real effort was put into the song.

I think a longer anticlimactic ending would enhance the song

To my ears the vocals got pitchy toward the end, as though the tempo was too fast for her to get a good breath. Perhaps one solution would be to punch in each verse individually so she doesn't have to maintain such a relentless exercise in breathing and control.

All in all, though, my scales weigh heavily in the direction of BRAVO!! WELL DONE!!

User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,281
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,281
Hi, I might be in agreement with some of the points made by others before, but I just wanted to welcome you to the showcase and to say, 'what a way to make your debut to the forum"! Wanted to hear more of the sax, but maybe next time. Good work!

Mike B.


Music should be part of your life
http://www.soundclick.com/blackcatjazzcafeband
User Showcase
A
Anonymous
Unregistered
Anonymous
Unregistered
A
I wouldn't do much outside of slowing it down 4bpm. It is so fast that

allthelyricsruntogethersofastyoucantunderstandthem.

Looking forward to hearing the final mix on this. Once you get things balanced a little better it will be a very good piece.

#183485 12/09/12 06:39 PM
User Showcase
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,086
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,086
Quote:

There are a lot of words in the song, and they feel a bit rushed in places. I'd be tempted to trim a syllable or two.





+1

User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,892
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,892
nice job...

I use BB now almost exclusively for writing and trying out musical ideas.

I kinda was halfway paying attention.... let it play.... nothing sounded out of place... it sounds like a nice pop song.... the mix needs some work but it's a WIP so no crits there.... Love the singer's voice, I'll bet she is awesome when she's not sick.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
User Showcase
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,026
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 4,026
Cool Song!

User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,936
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,936
Enjoyed it. Nicely done. Great singer. Welcome to the forum. Look forward to more.

User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7
R
Newbie
OP Offline
Newbie
R
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7
Thanks for all the comments... I agree with most of them, including the number of words in the song! Believe it or not, there were actually MORE words than this when we started, and I had a whole bunch cut already. I think its singable live (just!), and don't feel guilty about splitting up the last three choruses when recording to get them to sound more relaxed. I'll probably end up using some of the lead lines to create harmonies. I'm planning on adding a bit of sax in the intro, as it does appear to be missing a focal point, though I don't really want to make too much of it.

BIAB has really made me think about chord progressions in a very different way to how I've thought of them before, and I think it makes for a much more interesting progression.

MIDI parts for piano, electric guitar and bass are all as they came out of BIAB except for some extension/stretching of dynamics in the piano.

I'm reluctant to reduce the tempo, but I'm going to give it a try.

Thanks again for all comments and perspectives. Always good to get fresh ears on things.



Rich

User Showcase
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7
R
Newbie
OP Offline
Newbie
R
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7
We got to record the final vocal part last week. It wasn't what I'd call 100% successful, but I think it sounds a zillion times better than it was. I've made a few other minor changes to the song since first posting too.

I'm posting the song as it originally came out of BIAB using a pre-existing style, and my own chord progression -

http://www.studiobeemusic.com/carefree/carefreeconcept.mp3

...and as it is now -

http://www.studiobeemusic.com/carefree/carefree121229.mp3

User Showcase
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,606
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,606
Hi Rich,

Wow! What a great sound. I don't know how I missed this the first time around but I'm glad I caught it on the return trip. The song, arrangement and mix are happy, upbeat, and positive.

Well done!
Noel

P.S. The singer is fantastic!


MY SONGS...
Audiophile BIAB 2026
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News
Holiday Weekend Hours

It's Victoria Day Long Weekend in Canada. Our Customer Service hours are:

Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm

Regular hours
resume Tuesday, May 19th!

Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!

Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!

Don't wait - order today!

Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!

Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!

Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.

Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.

If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!

202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!

With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!

Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!

Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.

Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.

Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!

And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.

The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!

2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!

With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!

These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!

This Free Bonus PAK includes:

  • The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK: -For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles. -For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles. -For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
  • MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
  • MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
  • Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
  • Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
  • Playable RealTracks Set 5
  • RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
  • SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
  • iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
  • 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
  • FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
  • MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
  • MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
  • Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
  • Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
  • RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
  • SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)

Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!

XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!

All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!

It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.

What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?

XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!

Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!

The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.

The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.

The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.

Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.

The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!

Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos

With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.

Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.

Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics86,311
Posts803,203
Members40,093
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
Newest Members
65Jaguar, Jazzmando, sergiop, John Stubering, JohnDoe4u
40,092 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 114
rsdean 93
vicarn 87
DC Ron 83
dcuny 58
Today's Birthdays
valentimo
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5